Chapter 54: Catfish Effect
"Manager Wan's people are all leaders in their respective cuisines..." Su Shengsheng said, but seeing that Manager Wan's expression remained stern, she added, "Shixianglou now has ten managers joining. Even if their kitchen staff were to come here for training, I'm afraid they wouldn't be able to grasp the essence of the cuisine in such a short time."
These words touched everyone's heart, and they all listened quietly.
"Why don't we have Manager Wan's people move in first and have each of them specialize in a set of dishes? Once the other restaurants are renovated, we can go there for training." She paused briefly and continued, "Of course, we'll settle the training fees with Manager Wan separately."
Wan Quan's eyes widened. "You mean, you won't let me open a store, and you'll only let me train people for you?"
As expected of someone who has been in the business world for a long time, he hit the nail on the head with just one sentence.
Su Shengsheng stopped beating around the bush and said, "It's not just limited to the kitchen. I have other arrangements later."
Wanquan held the teacup tightly and his breathing became heavier.
Since she is not afraid of her cooking skills being learned, what else does he have to worry about?
He stood up resolutely and handed over the cup, "Okay! I'll do this deal!"
Su Shengsheng smiled and drank the drink in the cup.
Seeing that she had even won the high-end game, the ten shopkeepers who had not been able to join the alliance immediately became dissatisfied, "Are you not going to leave us any chance of survival?"
It’s no wonder that these ten shopkeepers would react this way, as the business at Tianqian Pass is already bleak.
Half of the customer base has been divided up by Changhua Street. If the other half is occupied by ten restaurants, they will really be out of luck.
Tang Zheng's face was solemn. The worries in their hearts were exactly what he had once feared.
Even though he has joined Shixianglou now, he still feels a cloud hanging over his heart.
Su Shengsheng raised her hand slightly, hoping to quiet down the ten noisy shopkeepers. "Everyone, please listen to what I have to say."
However, seeing that they were about to lose their livelihood, how could they sit still?
Su Shengsheng sighed softly and didn't force an explanation. "Do you all know about the catfish effect?"
The shopkeepers, who were arguing fiercely, were slightly stunned. "How does this have to do with fish again?"
"A fish merchant from the South China Sea tried to transport the abundant sardines thousands of miles north, but he failed repeatedly. One time, he accidentally missed a catfish that loved sardines. To his surprise, all the fish survived."
Upon hearing this, the resentful shopkeepers stopped arguing and looked puzzled.
Tang Zheng knew that Su Shengsheng wanted to break the deadlock, but he didn't expect her to use such a little-known story.
He looked at her thoughtfully, trying to guess her intentions.
"There are only so many people in Tianqian Pass who can afford to pay two taels of silver every month to join the store." Su Shengsheng glanced at the crowd of staring eyes, "If we only focus on emptying everyone's wallets instead of thinking about adding some new forces, we will sooner or later be defeated by our competitors."
"Who doesn't know this?" someone couldn't help but complain, "But you're not leaving us any chance to survive, are you?"
She just wants to be the catfish, isn't she afraid of being stuffed to death?
Having said that, Su Shengsheng has done his best.
"I wonder if you all, after returning home last night, have ever thought about why Pinglai Street has never been able to compete with Changhua Street?"
Is there any need to ask?
Changhua Street attracted wealthy and powerful people who spent money lavishly, while their street was populated by small families who loved to take advantage of small bargains.
Seeing the ten shopkeepers' faces were gloomy and silent, Su Shengsheng said bluntly, "I think the boundaries weren't so clear before, right?"
As soon as these words were spoken, several elderly shopkeepers at the table looked ashamed.
Unexpectedly, although this little girl is young, she can see things more clearly than them.
If she hadn't enlightened them, they would have gone further and further down the wrong path.
It seems to have suppressed the development of its peers, but it also lost those distinguished customers.
They were the ones who put themselves in this situation...
Seeing that the ten shopkeepers fell silent and stopped arguing, Su Shengsheng continued, "Are you willing to compete with Changhua Street?"
She asked them if they wanted to.
Of course they did.
After being suppressed by Changhua Street for so many years, who wouldn’t want to avenge the past?
Now even the government has given up on Pinglai Street.
When Su Shengsheng asked this question, the private room suddenly became quiet and no one responded.
At this moment, Tang Zheng finally understood why Su Shengsheng mentioned the catfish effect.
But even though he understood her intention, he still felt powerless to change the situation.
The knocks were almost over, and Su Shengsheng said no more. "I want to reopen the night market. The expenses of the ten shopkeepers who were unable to join will be covered by Shixianglou. However, reopening the night market is beyond my ability alone. I wonder if anyone here is willing to help?"
"Reopen the night market?" Everyone's face changed.
For so many years, even the government was too lazy to guard it and cancelled Pinglai Street’s night market rights.
How could a little girl like her have such courage?
This time, not only the ten shopkeepers who were not selected were shocked, but even the ten shopkeepers who were selected were shocked.
For so many years, they have been so busy fighting among themselves that they dared not even look up at the sky...
Tang Zheng's eyes were extremely complicated.
Even though he agreed with what Su Shengsheng said at the beginning, he just thought that she was trying to recruit people into the game.
But her words clearly meant that she was going to give away the benefits she had gained.
Now they have joined Shixianglou, but if these ten people cannot swallow this humiliation, a fierce battle is inevitable.
But she didn't back down, instead she played another card.
He seriously suspected that she had planned this from the beginning, just waiting to lure him into the trap so that she could defeat him one by one.
Isn't that what they are like now?
From the initial shared hatred for the enemy, to internal disputes, and now...
For some reason, Tang Zheng suddenly had a feeling.
It seems that the long-sealed sky of the natural barrier is about to change.
And who could have imagined that this change would come from the mouth of a young woman.
After learning from his mistakes, Tang Zheng's face flashed with determination, and he took the lead in stepping forward. "Tang Zheng is willing to join."
As the oldest person in the group and a person with a sharp eye, he went from being opposed at first to being the first to speak out in support, which made all the shopkeepers think twice.
It is true that they can fight to the death, but what good will that do them?
Now that Su Shengsheng has taken on the night market income of ten people, the other shopkeepers who have joined will be able to make back their money within a few months. Why bother fighting over it?
So, after Tang Zheng, the faces of all the shopkeepers began to waver.
Shopkeeper Wan then stepped forward and said, "I can't lose to a delicate young lady. I'm going to pay too."
The stagnant atmosphere in the private room was broken in an instant.
Those who were able to join and those who were not able to join stood together again for a while.
"Okay! Let's compete with Changhua Street!" The shopkeepers raised their glasses together, their eyes rekindled with fighting spirit.
No one knows what kind of earth-shaking changes the gathering at Shixianglou this night will bring to Tianqian Pass.
They only knew that on the Mid-Autumn Festival, half of the Tianqian Pass was in an uproar.
With the efforts of many shop owners in Tianqianguan, Pinglai Street will reopen its night market after the Mid-Autumn Festival, ushering in long nights of light.
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